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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Two Out of Three Dentists Are Impressed

It never ceases to amaze me how impressed people are that I am a published author. I had my dentist appointment last week and at the end of the appointment my dentist, the administrative assistant, and my dental hygienist were gathered around as I scheduled my next appointment. My dentist looked at me and asked me if I had a book published recently. I looked up from my calendar and as our eyes met he smiled at me--something that would scare most people in a dentist's office.

I asked how he knew that. He said that the dental hygienist at his other office read the article in the newspaper about my book signing at the local bookstore. Everybody at the desk was looking at me as if I'd just won a Pulitzer. Then the questions came at almost machine-gun speed. Is it fiction or nonfiction? Where can I find it? How long did it take you to write it? Can I get it on my Kindle? Is it in paperback?

I answered all the questions as I tried to avoid blushing from embarrassment. I get this every once in a while and I don't think I'll ever get used to it. People approach me in the grocery store, the post office, at work and once, even in the parking lot. I really am surprised at how impressed people are that I wrote a book. And even when I tell them that it is self-pulished, they don't seem to care. Somehow, the stigma of being self (or indie) - published, as we say these days, is disappearing. I don't know if it's permanent; if indie-books begin getting a reputation for being poorly edited with weak stories, then we may be relegated to the virtual slush pile. But for now, I like the fact that people recognize how hard it is to get a book written and marketed. Even an indie-book.